: Oysters and a Clear Bay

Watch CBF’s LEARN OUTSIDE, LEARN AT HOME Habitat Observation video. cbf.org/news-media/multimedia/video/cbf-education-videos/oyster-habitat-observations.html What aquatic species has been worth its weight in gold in and ? What aquatic species was the subject of ferocious wars during the late 1800s? What aquatic species filters sediment and lives in bars? If you guessed the oyster, you are correct! Beneath the drab and lumpy shell of the oyster lies a very colorful animal and history. ln addition to its wild popularity as a tasty meal and its economic importance to both Maryland and Virginia, the oyster has helped to keep the Bay clean and to provide a place for many Bay species to find shelter, food, and hiding spots. Investigative Questions In this investigation, you will answer two questions: 1. What has happened to the oyster? 2. What does the oyster’s scarcity mean for the Bay? To answer these questions, you will develop a timeline showing the oyster’s history, investigate the oyster’s ability to filter and compare your own filtering device to the filtering ability of the oyster. Materials You Will Need

PART I q Chart Paper q Colored Markers

PART II q Soil q Tap Water q Measuring Spoon q 2 Clear Collection Containers q Graduated Cylinder or Measuring Cup q Stopwatch or Watch with a Second Hand q Various Filtering Device Materials

PART II q Calculator q Colored Markers, Pens, or Pencils or Crayons

Vocabulary q filter q oyster tong q q oyster wars q oyster dredge q spat q oyster reef Charles R. Hazard PROCEDURE: PART I What has happened to the oyster over the past 150 hundred years? Investigate the colorful history of the oyster to answer this question. 1. Look at the charts on the Chesapeake Oysters Historic Harvest Numbers page. 2. Create a graph on a separate piece of paper to reflect the data from each section. You can choose the graph type and the scale. For example, you can choose to plot the data with a bar graph or a line graph. Be sure to make your graph big enough to include additional information later. 3. Next, take a look at the Oystering Events of the Past page. This timeline describes some of the events and regulations that have had an impact on oysters over the past 150 years. 4. On your graph, add in the events that occurred during the harvest years using the Oystering Events of the Past timeline. Write the events below the line or bar portion of the graph. 5. Now look at the timeline and graph together. What conclusions can you draw from the timeline and graph about the history of Maryland and Virginia’s oyster harvest? Use the space below to explain your answer.

6. Choose two historic events plotted on your timeline. Below, explain how you think that each event affected the oyster harvest. Support your explanations with evidence from the Oystering Events of the Past timeline and your readings in Part I of this investigation. Event #1:

Event #2:

7. Who or what might be affected by the scarcity of oysters in the Bay? Below, list three possible consequences of the declining trend in oyster harvest documented by your timeline.

VIRGINIA OYSTER HARVEST IN POUNDS Year reflects season beginning 1880...... 47,861,240 1995...... 387,989 1888...... 25,651,031 1996...... 133,722 1890...... 42,518,175 1997...... 316,783 1891...... 43,134,602 1998...... 275,792 1897...... 49,166,936 1999...... 333,096 1901...... 42,473,683 2000...... 22,949 1904...... 53,286,023 2001...... 31,166 1908...... 35,525,000 2002...... 42,859 1912...... 43,442,686 2003...... 23,523 1920...... 27,744,983 2004...... 79,680 1925...... 30,494,912 2005...... 173,890 1930...... 19,617,877 2006...... 106,305 1935...... 14,317,200 2007...... 95,453 1940...... 17,713,900 2008...... 103,449 1945...... 17,536,400 2009...... 125,389 1950...... 15,547,500 2010...... 216,612 1955...... 19,990,400 2011...... 258,496 1960...... 13,511,600 2012...... 408,612 1965...... 10,890,400 2013...... 532,816 1970...... 7,288,600 2014...... 600,977 1975...... 5,679,200 2015...... 634,953 1980...... 7,316,300 2016...... 596,019 1985...... 4,171,897 2017...... 632,004 I990...... 1,111,937 2018...... 457,379

MARYLAND OYSTER HARVEST IN BUSHELS Year reflects season beginning 1870...... 8,947,803 1932...... 1,626,214 1961...... 1,495,235 1990...... 416,720 1875...... 14,000,000 1933...... 1,835,364 1962...... 1,243,498 1991...... 318,128 1879...... 10,600,000 1934...... 2,100,233 1963...... 1,383,617 1992...... 123,618 1884...... 15,000,000 1935...... 2,407,693 1964...... 1,340,177 1993...... 78,817 1889...... 10,450,087 1936...... 3,081,063 1965...... 1,645,144 1994...... 164,673 1890...... 9,945,058 1937...... 3,245,816 1966...... 3,014,670 1995...... 193,629 1891...... 11,632,730 1938...... 3,403,549 1967...... 3,000,272 1996...... 171,630 1892...... 10,142,500 1939...... 3,129,403 1968...... 2,509,701 1997...... 278,292 1897...... 7,254,934 1940...... 3,430,269 1969...... 2,533,275 1998...... 413,010 1900...... 5,685,561 1941...... 2,792,069 1970...... 2,395,528 1999...... 370,784 1904...... 4,500,000 1942...... 2,328,541 1971...... 2,900,547 2000...... 342,879 1906...... 6,232,000 1943...... 2,413,349 1972...... 2,925,236 2001...... 150,594 1910...... 3,500,000 1944...... 2,436,133 1973...... 2,845,924 2002...... 55,828 1916...... 4,120,819 1945...... 2,322,185 1974...... 2,559,112 2003...... 25,843 1917...... 2,461,603 1946...... 2,157,838 1975...... 2,449,440 2004...... 72,357 1918...... 3,743,638 1947...... 2,027,381 1976...... 1,891,614 2005...... 153,693 1919...... 4,592,001 1948...... 2,702,814 1977...... 2,311,434 2006...... 165,059 1920...... 4,959,962 1949...... 2,495,787 1978...... 2,197,457 2007...... 82,966 1921...... 4,435,186 1950...... 2,170,556 1979...... 2,111,080 2008...... 101,076 1922...... 3,687,489 1951...... 2,339,976 1980...... 2,532,321 2009...... 188,666 1923...... 3,440,810 1952...... 2,642,147 1981...... 2,308,619 2010...... 107,150 1924...... 2,787,047 1953...... 2,129,115 1982...... 1,481,942 2011...... 116,859 1925...... 2,367,122 1954...... 2,878,755 1983...... 1,076,884 2012...... 345,621 1926...... 2,571,540 1955...... 2,799,788 1984...... 1,142,493 2013...... 431,013 1927...... 2,260,898 1956...... 2,259,882 1985...... 1,557,091 2014...... 394,767 1928...... 1,993,591 1957...... 2,190,074 1986...... 976,162 2015...... 383,090 1929...... 1,839,772 1958...... 1,968,894 1987...... 363,259 2016...... 224,681 1930...... 1,775,738 1959...... 2,114,899 1988...... 397,180 2017...... 182,425 1931...... 2,041,043 1960...... 1,635,123 1989...... 413,113 2018...... 136,954 OYSTERING EVENTS OF THE PAST A Timeline 1607: Captain John Smith writes in his journal about the abundance of oysters and other shellfish present in the Chesapeake Bay. Colonists at Jamestown feed on oysters as “hardship” food. 1785: The Compact of 1785 is signed between Maryland and Virginia in an effort to control violence on the Chesapeake Bay over oyster harvesting in the , Pocomoke Sound, and the Eastern Shore. 1852: The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad reaches the Ohio River, expanding the market for oysters westward. People in the western states begin to buy over three million pounds of oysters annually. 1865: The oyster dredge, formerly prohibited in Virginia and Maryland, is legalized after the Civil War. Dredging flattens high-rise oyster reefs into oyster beds or “bars” on the bot­tom of the Bay. This makes the oysters easier to harvest, but also leaves them susceptible to suffocation from sediment. Wars between oyster dredgers and oyster tongers continue well into the 20th century. 1868: Over nine million bushels of oysters are harvested and sold for an average of 45 cents per bushel. The Chesapeake Bay oyster harvest becomes a 50-million-dollar industry. The “oyster police” form to collect license fees, enforce fishing restrictions, and protect private grounds. 1882: An Oyster Commission is formed to survey oyster beds. It recommends conservation measures and oyster fanning. 1893: The Culling Law is enacted. It sets a minimum legal size of three inches for market oysters and requires watermen to return shells with spat and young oysters to the oyster bars. 1914: World War I begins when Austria declares war on Serbia. The United States later joins Serbia and several other countries against Germany and Austria. Many watermen join the effort, but oyster harvest is primarily low due to disrupted trade, as well as harsh winter conditions on the Bay. 1933: While America is in an economic depression due to the crash of the stock market, few watermen are affected. It is the hurricane of 1933 that causes devastation to the oyster industry, when millions of gallons of freshwater are dumped into the Bay. 1941: When Japanese bombers attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the United States enters World War II against Japan, Germany, and Italy. As with World War I, many watermen quit the oystering business to join the war effort, particularly in the Coast Guard. 1950s: A large number of watermen return to the oyster industry. There is a mini-boom when a huge oyster reef is discovered at Swan Point in the Potomac River. The oyster disputes of the previous century continue. 1960s: The Potomac Fisheries Bill is signed by President John E Kennedy in 1962. This bill sets up a bi-state commission to govern oyster dredging in the Potomac River and ends the conflicts over the Potomac River. 1972: Hurricane Agnes brings a massive flood of freshwater and sediment (dirt) into the Bay. 1980s: Two oyster diseases, MSX and Dermo, enter the Bay. Although they do not harm people, the diseases kill oysters as they reach market size (three inches). 1990s: People all over the world, from the Philippines to Japan to the United States, are experimenting with raising oysters in hatcheries to meet the growing demand for them and supplement the native stocks. 2000: Chesapeake Bay Program partners commit to increasing oyster populations 10-fold over the 1994 baseline by 2010 when they sign the Chesapeake 2000 Agreement. 2008: The final programmatic environmental impact statement for the potential introduction of a non-native oyster in Chesapeake Bay is published. Based on extensive scientific research and evaluation, Bay Program partners reject proposals to introduce a non-native oyster from Japan and re-commit to restoring the Bay’s native oyster species. 2009: President Barack Obama signs Executive Order 13508 directing a number of federal agencies to coordinate the restoration of Chesapeake Bay, including its oyster populations. 2014: Chesapeake Bay Program partners sign the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement, committing to restore oyster populations in 10 Bay tributaries by 2025, charting a new course for large-scale oyster restoration in Chesapeake Bay. 2015: Construction on Maryland’s first restoration tributary, Harris Creek on the Eastern Shore, is complete. 2018: Construction on Virginia’s first restoration tributary, the Lafayette River, is complete. PROCEDURE: PART II In this section, you will attempt to create a filtering device that can out-filter the oyster. One of the most important functions of the oyster is its ability to filter sediment and pollutants out of the water. 1. Collect materials from your house that you think will act as a filter (cotton balls, cheesecloth, gravel, sponges, rubber bands, coffee filters, strainers, etc.). The filtering ability of your device will be compared to the oyster in terms of EFFECTIVENESS (how clean it makes the water) and SPEED (how fast water gets through the system). 2. You may build your machine in whatever way you think is best, but you must follow the guidelines below: • Give your filtering device a name. • Draw a plan or “blueprint” of your device before you begin to build it. • Build your test model. 3. Now, do a test run to test the effectiveness of your filtering device. • Add 5 milliliters of soil to 250 milliliters of water. • Stir to mix thoroughly. • Pour the mixture into your filtering device (scrape out any mud from the bottom of the cup). Start timing as soon as you begin pouring and stop timing at the end of one minute. • At the end of one minute quickly remove the collection container from your filtering device (place another container beneath your filter device so that it does not continue to drip onto your table). • Measure the water that filtered into the collection container in a clean graduated cylinder or measuring cup. 4. What happened? Does your filtering device clean the water both quickly and effectively? Answer the following questions to find out: • How fast was your filtering device? In the space below, record the quantity of water filtered in one minute.

• How clear is the water that was collected after filtering? Describe the clarity clearness)( of your water in the space below (compare it to what it looked like before it went through your filtering device).

• In the space below, explain why your device was (or was not) an effective filtering device. PROCEDURE: PART III 1. An oyster can filter approximately 7.6 milliliters of water per hour. At what rate did your filter device filter 250 milliliters? Calculate the filtering rate of your device in the space below.

2. According to your calculations above, which is better at filtering—your device or the oyster? Explain your answer below.

3. In 1800, the oysters in the Chesapeake Bay could filter the equivalent volume of water to the water in the entire Bay (approximately 17 trillion gallons of water) in three to six days. However, it would take today’s remaining oysters about a year to do the same job. How many of your filtering devices would it take to filter the same volume of water in the Bay in three to six days? Use the space below for your calculations.

4. As an alternative to the in helping to maintain a clean Bay, imagine that you are selling your filtering device to Bay scientists. First you must convince them that using your device would be easier and better than trying to restore the declining oyster population. Complete the Machine vs. Nature chart on the next page to help make your case. MACHINE vs. NATURE Your Filtering Device The Oyster

Rate How long would it take to filter 7.6 milliliters of water? (See question 1 in Part Ill.)

Fuel What is needed to power the filter? (fuel, people power, habitat etc.)

Maintenance How is the device maintained?

Cost What does it cost to build the filter?

Benefits How does the Bay benefit? How do people benefit?

Disadvantages What are the disadvantages? 5. Although oysters still face many problems, people around the Bay are finding ways to help bring oysters back to their former abundance by restoring oyster reefs and raising oysters in hatcheries and oyster gardens. Look at the timeline that you constructed in Part I of this activity and add the years 2020-2040 to your timeline. 6. Considering the efforts to restore oysters, but also the problems that oysters continue to face, draw an extension to the timeline that predicts oyster harvests until the year 2040. Use a different color for this prediction part of the timeline. 7. If your prediction shows a rise in the oyster population, explain what might bring about the increase. However, if your prediction shows a further decline in the oyster population, explain what might bring about the decrease.

8. You can affect the future of the oyster in the Chesapeake Bay. Brainstorm to come up with two actions that you can take to help increase the population of oysters.

9. Comic strips and cartoons are often used to express opinions or educate others about serious issues in a fun way. On a separate sheet of paper, use one of your ideas from step 8 to create a comic strip to educate others about the importance of oysters. Be creative!

DIVE DEEPER: q Read: The Lord’s Oyster by Gilbert Byron q Read: Oyster Moon by Margaret Meacham INVESTIGATION LEARN OUTSIDE | LEARN AT HOME | CBF.ORG/LEARNATHOME